Who In Their Right Mind Would...

a. Give their credit card details to an unknown person on the other side of the world for a small camera accessory that they could just as easily buy in Perth?

b. Air-freight a small camera accessory half-way around the world to Perth?

c. Think that they support the conservation of the ecology of the planet while compelling someone to fly a jet aircraft halfway around the world to deliver a small camera accessory?

d. Need a small camera accessory - since the cameras we use have every conceivable function built-in?

e. Stock a small camera accessory that yields about $ 2.00 profit if it sells immediately and $ 20.00 loss if it sits on the shelf for six months?

f. Take pictures that are never again looked at - sitting as they do on hard drives or in computer bodies - with expensive small accessories that have come half-way around the world?

g. Enter pictures taken with small accessories into photo contests that are destined to be seen only by other people who are willing their competitors not to win?

h. Put up photo contests that revert to a fight between users of two different camera systems...and their small accessories from America?

i. Agree to act as a judge at such a contest for the price of a glass of cask wine and some cheese on a stick?

j. Read lists like this?

The answer to these questions is " pretty much everybody I know..." in one way or another.

I have just completed the exercise of pricing up items from international firms for one of my hobbies - building miniature scenes - and then calculating the shipping, postage, handling, and enchilada fees for them. Then I went round to the lady in Myaree who runs Miniature World and bought the little furniture over the counter for less than it would have cost imported. I call that a win - and I suspect that clients of Camera Electronics might be fooling themselves if they indulge in late-night forays with their credit card onto overseas sites. They would do far better to come down to the shop and get the goods in hand right now.

As far as taking pictures and never having them seen, Instagram and Flicker solves that problem, though sometimes the feedback is not quite what we would desire. I'm still debating whether offering images to locally-produced publications is productive or not - so far the only thing it has produced is silence from the editors. This would not bother me so much if it were not for the fact that every time I call round the editorial office they turn off the lights and hide behind the couch. I am starting to get a feeling...

PS: Don't feel bad about reading internet lists. We all do it, and it is forced on us. It is a social media trick they teach in the lectures. At least we are not giving you pictures with dead whales on freight cars...

The Travel Trail - Panasonic Part One - The Silver Style

Today's Travel Trail brings us one of the more stylish of the Panasonic compact cameras. Those of you who have an eye to fashion may wish to look closely at the shape and colouration of this...

The Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ110 box says "Silver" but that is a kind of inadequate description for what looks very much like a two-tone titanium finish with a red accent stripe separating the different colours. Of course you can get these cameras in black, but the appearance of this on is so appealing that it rivets the eye instantly. Will we ever get past black boxes completely? No - but this is a good start.

The camera is the type that has a fixed zoom lens and provision for eye-level viewfinder as well as LCD screen viewing. For the tech-conscious it has a 1" sensor and 20.1 megapixels MOS sensor. The lens is a 10 x optical zoom that gives you the angles of view from the classic (35mm film classic) 25mm wide-angle to 250mm telephoto. This instantly identifies this as an overseas travel camera.

Why? Because you need a long lens for Alaskan bears or African lions. And for surf shots closer to home. Of course you can take anything with the telephoto and bring it in closer, but the traveller who wants to do the world circuit with the least encumbrance of gear is the person for this camera.

Now remember that you can also shoot night time, parties, restaurants, family, and an amazing number of Australian travel photos with a smaller camera like this. The fact that you are carrying that much zoom power in pocket or purse means you are never caught wanting when something develops.

On a more serious technical note, the camera shoots 4K video - the current standard of excellence. It is literally a one-button process. The fact that the camera can shoot 4K means that Panasonic have also been able to do something rather magic - they have made arrangements for small bursts of recording that take different focus points during action sequences that let you go back later and select the exact peak of focus. Here's where the sports people faced with a moving object will cry with joy -no more missed shots.

Of course Panasonic have included a number of fun programs in the mode dial - panorama, miniature effect, picture effects, etc. Macro, stabilisation and WiFi are all included. Quite frankly, this camera and a small tablet are all you need for a world trip, and that is two pockets and a space in your luggage for the charger (I pack mine in my spare pair of shoes...), a spare battery, some cards, and a "I don't speak your language" app on the tablet should do it. If you get taken for a rich tourist by the look of the camera you'll have to talk your own way out of it.

PS: That's a no-joke Leica zoom lens made by some serious Panasonic workers. I know- I saw 'em being made.

See the Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ110 on the Camera Electronic website 

Fujifilm Week Day Four - The Model T

Well, you have to forgive me some whimsy - I have finally reached one of the core cameras of the Fujifilm line and I am going to make the most of it.

Actually, I have been making the most of it for some time - I own the first model of the X -100 series  cameras and have had several years to get used to it and make it do as I wanted. Since that first design there have been two later models released, and I am going compare the new one - the X-100T -  to the X-100.

If it is just a matter of hefting them, I doubt I could tell them apart. There is a little different knurling on the focus ring and speed knob, and they've shuffled the buttons about, but the operation and feel is identical.

You'll note that I have tricked out my X-100 with a cradle grip to match it to a tripod and a flash holder and have opted for a comfortable cloth neck strap, but that's just for my own convenience - the same could be transferred to the new X-100T easily. The Fujifilm LH-100 lens hood is a good idea and I would recommend that everyone buy one for the 100 series. That cradle grip is good protection but heavy - when I travel with the camera I sometimes leave it at home.

Okay - Fujifilm kept the same lens  - 23mm f:2  - on both cameras and sealed the thing tight so that you don't interchange lenses. The X-100 uses a 12 megapixel sensor - the X-100T has 16 megapixels to play with. The new one peaks up higher in ISO settings. It includes a new JPEG film simulation mode - " Classic Chrome". And it has a little secondary screen inside the viewfinder that lets you see what you have in focus if you are doing it manually. That's a bigger and more detailed LCD screen back there.

All good things. I cannot say how helpful other new items inside there are; the intervalometer, the WiFi, and the optional electronic shutter that goes up to 1/32000 sec. I shoot at about 5 minute intervals, I rarely Fi a Wi anywhere in the house, and anything faster than 1/125 of a second makes my hat blow off...but there are those who will find these new capabilities invaluable.

What I can comment on is the sterling performance of that lens on that sensor. I always knew it was detailed and sharp out to the edges because I could see it on the files, but an experiment proved how closely Fujifilm have matched the thing.

My recent computer failure, replacement, and selection of new programs finally brought me to Lightroom 6. While I am still learning, I was guided by a client of the store in how to apply distortion correction to images based upon their pre-recorded profiles. The Adobe people have obviously measured the X-100 and the Fujinon lens and included the data in there program. Well, I opened raw files from a weekend shoot ( Hot Rods, yeah...) and passed them through the correction funnel. While the program did make sure there was no light fall off at the edges, it had very, very little to do with the centre of the images. This same experiment applied to other images taken with other cameras and other lenses showed some massive pixel-shifting needed.

So, with the X-100T, what you see is what you get. It does have the convenient little Q menu at the back so you can specify 16 different criteria that are important to you. You can shift the function of the buttons to your pleasure, rather than learning new ergonomic patterns. You can make videos. The battery life vs shots taken has been increased, while using the same NP-95 battery as the two previous models. You can still clap the same wide-angle or tele supplementary lenses on the front.

And you can still take it on holiday in a retro ever-ready case as your one and only piece of photo  gear and be confident of bringing professional images back.

PS: If you ever fancy going Henri Cartier-Bressoning, this is the camera to do it with.

DL AND COOLPIX - Nikon Has Some New New Cameras Coming

COOLPIX is a familiar name for Nikon enthusiasts - it has been the model name for a number of their compact digital cameras for a number of years now. They have wisely retained it to introduce four more new compact and bridge cameras: the COOLPIX B700, B500, and the A900 and A300.

We've just been sent the promotional sheets for them and to give you a précis of the new features, essentially you can regard the B series as the ones with electronic viewfinders while the A series are screens alone.

The B700 will have a 60X optical zoom, 20.3 Megapixels on a back-lit CMOS sensor  and a new processor. It will shoot 4K video and has a number of new features for video like "Superlapse" to combine numerous pictures.

The B500 is similarly-shaped but has a 40x optical zoom. and 16 Megapixels for the sensor. All the other good stuff , though.

The A900 has a 35x optical zoom and 20.3 Megapixels but has the additional capability of a 1cm super macro mode. As well as " Superlapse ". Super! 4K as well.

The A400 is the stylish compact of he series with an 8 x optical zoom and a variety of body colours. Good for panorama or 2 cm macro and hosts a wealth of features that will appeal to the selfie shooter...like Glamour Retouch. I need Glamour Retouch. Actually I would be satisfied with Not Quite So Hideous Retouch...

OKAY - now the new news for bigger shooters. People who would like to carry pocketable Nikon camera to supplement their big Nikon DSLR outfits - or who would like to take the Nikon lens quality out for a run where weight and size matter.

Nikon have introduced the DL range of cameras - looks as though there will be three of them initally - with a host of new features across the models. These are large compacts with lenses that are fixed in place...however there are three models with zoom lenses that are intended for three ranges of work:

1. DL 18-50

As the title implies, this is the wide-angle model of the series. It will have a lens capable of 18-50mm equivalent fixed in front of a 1" backlit CMOS sensor. The lens runs at f:1.8-2.8. There is an effective VR system, new processor, Nikon Snap Bridge data-sharing capability and an optional OLED electronic viewfinder available.

2. DL 24-85

Here's the medium range lens model - again at f:1.8-2.8 but with the same features as the wide one. Also noted on the press release: an in-built neutral density filter to let you use those wide apertures in bright light. Plus a super-macro mode.

3. DL 24-500

Well, here Nikon have had to include an electronic viewfinder in the design from the start - that long telephoto lens capability demands it. Aperture is f:2.8-5.6 for this longer lens.

The delivery times for these new cameras extend into the next few months but we'll be letting you know when they hit the shop shelves. You can also pursue them through our on-line store.